Lucien(44)
Elise smiled, her heart nearly bursting with joy and love for him. “It’s seven-thirty.”
“We’ll go in later. Much later.” He kissed her neck and she shivered. “How are you feelin’?”
“Wonderful,” she gasped as he hugged her to him, slithering a hand up her front to cup her breasts.
“Mmm. Do you hurt?” He fondled her gently, his breath teasing her ear and sending goose bumps all over her body.
“Ache.”
“Where?” His hand skimmed down her stomach to cup her. “Here?”
“Mmmm.” Any discomfort she’d felt disappeared with the heat emanating from his palm. She was tender, but he was careful with her, teasing and touching her like she was a delicate flower.
“Mind telling me why, up until last night, you were a virgin?” His voice was a low rumble, caressing her with tender concern.
“Later,” she half stated and asked. He knew exactly where to touch her and melt her in all the right places. She would have gladly moved against him, but he held her firmly against him.
“Move your hips and it’ll all be over with, darlin’.” His hand stopped its tender ministrations, but remained between her thighs. “The sooner you tell me why, the sooner…,” he trailed off suggestively.
Elise whimpered in frustration. “Why couldn’t I have a more amenable husband?”
She felt him smile against her neck. “Take your time, darlin’. You’ve got the nicest back and the firmest bottom. I could stay here all day. Did I mention the splendid view of your front side,” he added when she heaved a great sigh. “And so warm and… wet.” He stroked her sensuously. “Like I said, I can stay here all day.”
“Lucien, you are evil.”
“Yeah, but you love it.”
More than you know, she replied silently. “Do you remember what I said that day in your office?”
“The first time you kissed me senseless?”
Elise smiled. She’d been the one kissed senseless. “Yes.”
He pushed himself up on his elbow and hovered over her. “You remained a virgin because of Moonbeam’s free love philosophy?”
“Yes.” She rolled over on her back and gazed up into his confused gray eyes. “Luc, you have to understand. My mother loves men. She sort of… collects them.”
His eyes narrowed. “Collects them? How?”
She sucked in her bottom lip and chewed on it while searching for the right way to explain her mother’s habit. “Okay. My father is a novelist, right?” Luc nodded and she continued, “Not just any novelist, but a bestselling author. He’s one the best in the horror business. Apollo, Raven’s father, is beautiful. And I mean beautiful. Adonis has nothing on that man. When Moonbeam met him, he didn’t have a chance. She charmed the pants off him—literally—and, exactly nine months later, Raven was born. Then there was Deke, the cowboy Moonbeam met during a retreat in Oregon. Or was it Montana? Whatever. He was the rodeo champ or something like that.”
Elise ticked off names on her fingers. “There was Allen. He was the smoothest talking lawyer with the prettiest set of green eyes Moonbeam had ever seen. Sam and his piano. He claimed Moonbeam was an inspiration and wrote a ‘Tiptoe through the Moonlight’ for her. Then there was Hadji. He had what Mom called panache and was the only man, in her opinion, who could wear Levi’s right. Oh and how can I forget her ethnic period. Let’s see, there was John who was Cambodian; Kazi who was Indian; Adi—which was his nickname, apparently his real name is too complicated for a mere female like me to pronounce—was visiting from Saudi Arabia.” She sucked in a deep breath preparing to delve into the next list.
“There’s more,” Luc asked, incredulously.
“Oh yes,” she answered, nodding. “There are plenty. Like I said, Moonbeam loves men. She can’t get enough of them. She collects them according to the spectacular things they have. Sometimes it’s physical. Or intellectual or… a trait or ancestry. She enjoys variety.” Elise grimaced. “She loves all of them and gives each about two months, then ends the affair. She only tied herself to Apollo and Dad because they were the most extraordinary of all. With Apollo, Mom got Raven and you have to admit that he is more than just handsome. With Wyndemere, she got me.” Elise smirked. “I was supposed to be a successful writer like him. Daddy blew Mom out of the water when he told me to do whatever I wanted and let my mother’s dreams of immortality be damned.”